KEY POINTS
- Over 60 people have died in 24 hours across Punjab due to record-breaking rains and flash floods
- State of emergency declared in multiple districts of Punjab as thousands are evacuated
- Over 15,000 personnel, boats, and military units are rescuing stranded citizens
ISLAMABAD: Torrential monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, killing at least 60 people in the last 24 hours, provincial officials said on Thursday.
The relentless downpour triggered severe urban flooding in several areas, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi, which recorded 240mm of rain in just 18 hours, raising fears of a crisis similar to the 2022 climate-induced deadly floods.
The district of Chakwal bore the worst of the deluge, witnessing an extraordinary 449mm of rainfall, nearly half a metre, due to a violent cloudburst.
According to rescue officials, the torrent drowned low-lying neighbourhoods, swept away livestock, and forced frantic evacuations as rivers broke their banks.
A state of emergency has been declared in several districts of Punjab on Thursday, according to rescue officials and local authorities.
“This level of rain in such a short span hasn’t been recorded in recent decades in Punjab,” said a senior official from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). “Even the 2022 floods, though larger in scale, unfolded over weeks. This hit in hours.”
Emergency aerial support was provided in Jhelum after flash floods stranded 40 people in Deras at Mouza Dhok Biddar and Nakkan Kalan. With boat rescue impossible due to heavy rain, the Pakistan Army safely evacuated all individuals.#PDMA #PakArmy #Jhelum #flashfloodwarning pic.twitter.com/5AbUFS0QkM
— PDMA Punjab Official (@PdmapunjabO) July 17, 2025
Death toll
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported 63 deaths and 290 injuries across Punjab, with casualties spread across multiple districts.
In Lahore, 15 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents, while nine fatalities were reported in Faisalabad and another nine in Okara. Sahiwal recorded five deaths, and three people were killed in Pakpattan.
In Mandi Bahauddin, a 10-year-old boy drowned while bathing in rainwater. Two more children suffered electrocution.
Nine others were injured when the roofs of decrepit homes gave way under the weight of water.
The human toll echoes the haunting memories of 2022, when monsoon floods claimed 1,700 lives, destroyed infrastructure, and displaced millions.
While this year’s total death toll, currently at 180 since late June, is lower, experts warn it may rise as the rains continue and rescue access remains blocked in many areas.
State of emergency
In response, Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz declared a rain emergency across the province.
“We are on war footing,” she posted on X, urging citizens to heed warnings, avoid flooded roads, and cooperate with authorities.
Over 15,000 rescue workers, aided by 800 boats and Pakistan Army units, are battling time and terrain to evacuate trapped citizens.
Fifty-seven people have already been rescued from Jhelum’s flooded villages, including Dhok Biddar and Sohawa, where flash floods left families clinging to rooftops.
🚨 Flood Alert: Lai Nullah, Rawalpindi
Rescue 1122 has sounded sirens in nearby areas following PMD’s flood warning. Residents are urged to follow evacuation guidelines, move to safer locations & stay updated. #LaiNullah #FloodAlert #Rescue1122 #PMD #Rawalpindi #EmergencyWarning pic.twitter.com/LTPTEjegbK— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) July 17, 2025
Rawalpindi, meanwhile, remains on high flood alert. The Leh Nullah, the city’s stormwater channel, has swollen to dangerous levels.
Authorities declared a local holiday and warned of further evacuations if the rain continues. “Stay indoors. Pack essentials. Prepare to move if sirens wail,” read a government alert issued early Thursday.
Heavy Monsoon rains trigger significant surge in reservoir water levels pic.twitter.com/Spfmy7KVXu
— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) July 17, 2025
Comparison with previous years’ floods
In historical context, this monsoon is shaping up to be among the most aggressive in recent memory:
In 2023, Punjab experienced isolated heavy spells, but the overall death toll remained under 300 for the entire season.
Whereas in 2022, Pakistan’s worst climate disaster submerged one-third of the country, caused $30 billion in damage, and killed over 1,700 people.
In 2021-2020 years saw regular monsoon cycles with urban flooding primarily in Karachi, but without significant rural inundation.
This year’s hyper-localised cloudbursts, especially the 449mm rainfall in Chakwal, are nearly double the average monthly July rainfall for the region, and four times higher than typical daily rates.
“We’re witnessing a pattern of shorter, more violent rain events due to climate change,” noted PMD Director-General Sarfaraz Khan.
Capital on edge
In Islamabad, emergency teams are patrolling every corner of the city’s waterways. Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Muhammad Ali Randhawa, has ordered the round-the-clock monitoring of storm drains, highways, and neighbourhoods near the Korang and Soan rivers.
Citizens were urged to report emergencies by dialling 1334 or 16, and to prepare emergency kits with three to five days’ worth of essentials.
Army mobilised for rescue and relief
In flood-hit zones, army personnel are delivering medical supplies, food, and safe transport to affected families.
In Jhelum’s Darapur and Dhok Bhidar, boats are ferrying people across submerged roads, while NDMA helicopters remain on standby for critical airlifts.
The Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit the NDMA headquarters for a high-level briefing on the crisis. Initial reports suggest that rescue teams have saved 641 people and 176 animals from submerged areas so far.
More rains forecast
And yet, the sky offers no mercy. The PMD and NDMA have both forecast continued heavy rains over the next 24–48 hours in Punjab and the federal capital. Areas under threat include Lahore, Sargodha, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Khushab, and Attock, among others.
“Residents in low-lying areas must stay alert, avoid bridges, rivers and flooded roads,” the NDMA warned. “The next 48 hours are critical.”
Coordinated plan to tackle cloud burst threats
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the National Emergencies Operation Centre of the NDMA in Islamabad and received a briefing regarding the existing monsoon rains and flood situation across the country.
Speaking on the occasion, PM Sharif called for formulating a coordinated plan, in consultation with the provinces, to prevent losses in view of the growing intensity of cloud bursts in future.
PM Sharif said the Ministries of Climate Change and Planning are required to engage in close coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and provinces to evolve an effective strategy to mitigate losses as a result of rains. He said all possible equipment and resources will be provided to the NDMA to achieve this objective.
The Prime Minister also commended the NDMA and provincial governments for effectively undertaking relief and rescue operations in the country. He expressed the confidence that provinces will also upgrade their rescue and relief agencies by providing them with the latest equipment.
Earlier, briefing the Prime Minister, Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik said the intensity of monsoon rains is 60 to 70 percent higher this year as compared to last year. He said traditionally there are around nine monsoon spells, but there will be two to three more spells this year.
The Chairman, however, ruled out any threat of large-scale flooding as all the rivers in the country are flowing in normal conditions.
Regarding the losses, he said so far 178 people have died and around 500 others have been injured in the rain-related incident.
